Alumni Day 2022

Welcome Remarks

Volney F. Van Dalsem III, BA ’71, MD ’75

President, Stanford Medical Alumni Association

Dr. Van Dalsem III has had a long engagement with Stanford University, receiving his BA in Biology in 1971 and M.D. in 1975.  He completed his internship, residency and fellowship in Diagnostic Radiology at the University of California, San Francisco in 1980, where he continues to  serve on the Diagnostic Radiology Margulis Society Alumni Board of Directors.

Dr. Van Dalsem practiced Diagnostic Radiology at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, California from 1980 through 2007, and has served as the Medical Director of the Radiologic Technology and Diagnostic Medical Sonography Training Programs at Foothill College since 1991. In 2007, he returned to Stanford Medical School as an Associate Professor, Clinical Educator faculty member and Medical Director of Outpatient Imaging for Stanford Hospital and Clinics.  He was appointed Professor of Abdominal Imaging in the Stanford Department of Diagnostic Radiology in 2012.

Dr. Van Dalsem has been a member of the Board of Governors of the Stanford Medicine Alumni Association since 2014, and is currently president-elect of the association.

Steven Artandi, MD, PhD

Laurie Kraus Lacob Director, Stanford Cancer Institute Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry

Steven Artandi serves as the inaugural senior associate dean for cancer programs for Stanford University School of Medicine and the chief cancer officer for Stanford Health Care. Dr. Artandi is an oncologist and cancer biologist whose research work has focused on the role played by the enzyme telomerase in cancer, aging, and stem cell function. His work has produced new insights into the origins of cancer, revealing how telomerase endows cells with immortal growth properties and how aspiring cancers circumvent critical bottlenecks encountered during carcinogenesis. He has received numerous awards including an Outstanding Investigator Award from the National Cancer Institute and is an elected member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and the Association of American Physicians. Dr. Artandi received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University, and MD and PhD degrees from Columbia University. He trained in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and in oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute before joining the Stanford faculty in 2000.

Kavita Sarin, BS ’00, PhD ’06, MD ’08, Resident ’12

Associate Professor of Dermatology and Director, Stanford Skin Cancer Genetics Clinic, Stanford University School of Medicine

Dr. Sarin is an associate professor of dermatology. She has an academic interest in personalized medicine, focused on the integration of genetic and clinical patient data to inform disease susceptibility, stratify prognosis, and guide treatments in dermatologic disease. Her lab uses next-generation sequencing technologies to investigate genetic and molecular alterations associated with skin cancer and rare genetic skin disorders. They also utilize this data to predict and develop new therapeutics for skin cancer and other skin disorders. Dr. Sarin received her bachelor’s degree in computer science, her PhD in genetics, and her MD and residency training in dermatology, all from Stanford University.

Pamela Simon, MSN, CPNP, CPON

Program Director/Nurse Practitioner, Stanford Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital

As program director for the Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program, Simon brings together experts to deliver personalized care to support the unique needs of adolescents and young adults with cancer. Through care coordination and innovative treatments, patients experience improved physical, mental, and emotional well-being. In 2010 she received the Jean Fergusson Excellence in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Award and the Grace Award in Nursing Practice from Packard Hospital. She earned a BSN from Creighton University, an MSN from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing, and post-graduate training from Coventry University.

Billy W. Loo Jr., MD, PhD, Resident ’05

Professor, Radiation Oncology; Director, Thoracic Radiation Oncology; Director of New Technologies, Department of Radiation Oncology

Dr. Loo is a radiation oncologist and bioengineer and a member of the Stanford Cancer Institute (SCI), the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, and Stanford Bio-X. Since conceiving of a fundamentally new approach to delivering ultra-rapid, ultra-precise radiation therapy known as PHASER—pluridirectional high-energy agile scanning electronic radiotherapy—Dr. Loo has co-led a collaborative effort between SCI and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to transform PHASER into a clinically practical technology. He received a BA in biophysics at UC Berkeley, an MD from UC Davis, and a PhD in bioengineering from UCSF, and completed residency training in radiation oncology at Stanford.

Juan Carlos Fernandez-Miranda, MD

Professor of Neurosurgery and, by courtesy of Otolaryngology; Surgical Director, Stanford Brain Tumor Center; Co-Director, Stanford Skull Base Surgery Program

Dr. Fernandez-Miranda is renowned for his expertise in minimally invasive brain surgery, endoscopic skull base and pituitary surgery, open skull base surgery, and complex brain tumor surgery. After receiving his MD in 2000, he completed neurosurgery residency at La Paz University Hospital and was awarded the Sanitas Prize as the best medical postgraduate trainee in the country. He completed fellowship training at the University of Florida, the University of Virginia, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where he pioneered endoscopic endonasal surgeries. In 2018, he was recruited to Stanford for his unique technical expertise and to collaborate across multiple disciplines.

Mark Chao MD ’08, PhD ’11, Fellow ’14, Resident ’16

Co-Founder and CEO, Foresite Labs-backed biotechnology company

Dr. Chao, a physician-scientist, hematologist, and biotechnology entrepreneur, focuses on oncology and regenerative medicine research. Before co-founding his most recent biotech company, he was co-founder and senior vice president of clinical development at Forty Seven, Inc., an immuno-oncology company that developed macrophage-directed therapeutics, and a vice president of oncology research at Gilead Sciences. As one of the early discoverers of CD47, a novel macrophage immune checkpoint in cancer, he helped lead research from the lab to late-stage clinical development. He received his MD and PhD degrees, and internal medicine and hematology fellowship training at Stanford University. 

Sheila Lahijani, MD

Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; and Medical Director, Stanford Cancer Center Psychosocial Oncology Program

Since 2015, Dr. Lahijani has served as the lead psychiatric oncologist at the Stanford Cancer Center, providing psychiatric consultation services to patients with cancer and collaborating with hematology and oncology colleagues to deliver comprehensive care. As medical director of the Psychosocial Oncology Program, she works with leadership and oversees the development and operationalization of psychiatric consultations for patients with cancer. Dr. Lahijani completed her MD at Brown Medical School, her residency at Rush Medical Center, and additional training at Northwestern University/Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. 

Ruijiang Li, PhD

Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology-Radiation Physics, Stanford University School of Medicine

Dr. Li is focused on developing imaging and molecular biomarkers to improve early cancer detection, diagnosis, prognostication, and prediction of therapy response with the goal of translating these biomarkers into clinical practice to guide therapeutic decisions. His work combines elements of artificial intelligence (AI) and medical imaging to improve cancer diagnosis by identifying tumor subtypes and then matching these classifications with precise treatments. Combining human knowledge and the computational power of AI is the essence of the new field of radiomics. Dr. Li received his BS at Zhejiang University, and his PhD in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Florida.

Dean's Remarks

Lloyd B. Minor, MD

Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Dean, Stanford University School of Medicine

Lloyd B. Minor is a scientist, surgeon, and academic leader. He has served as dean of Stanford University School of Medicine since  December 2012. In addition, he is a professor of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery and (by courtesy) of Neurobiology and Bioengineering at Stanford University. As dean, Dr. Minor plays an integral role in setting strategy for the clinical enterprise of Stanford Medicine. He also oversees the quality of Stanford Medicine’s physician practices and growing clinical networks. With Dr. Minor’s leadership, Stanford Medicine has established a strategic vision to lead the biomedical revolution in Precision Health.

Iris C. Gibbs, MD ’95, Resident ’00

Associate Dean of MD Admissions and Professor of Radiation Oncology and of Neurosurgery

The RISE (Reach, Inspire, Serve, Engage) Award will be presented to Dr. Gibbs in recognition of her exceptional dedication to nurturing Stanford Medicine and its alumni community through acts of leadership, volunteerism, mentoring, and teaching.

Dean's Reception - 6:00 PM

*Reunion class photos will be taken during this reception

All alumni are invited to attend this eveing reception hosted by Dean Lloyd B. Minor. Raise a glass to Stanford University School of Medicine and to your fellow alumni! 

Reunion Dinner - 7:00 PM

Before Alumni Day 2022 draws to a close, conclude the evening alongside classmates at an elegant dinner in honor of all reunion year alumni.

This year’s MD reunion alumni include the classes of 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012, and 2017. Reunions for PhD alumni, other School of Medicine degreed alumni, residents, postdocs, and fellows will also be celebrated.

Seating will be assigned based on year of graduation for MD alumni. Other alumni will be seated by program (PhD, Postdoc, Fellow, Resident, etc.). If you have any specific seating or dietary requests, please be sure to mention them when you register.